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welcome aboard and good luck with your project
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tony barnhill
Great Pumpkin - R.I.P
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Welcome...go to my web site https://www.theautoist.com/awakening_a_sleeping_b.htm , download the checklist & follow it! Also, join our virtual car club at hte same site https://www.theautoist.com/thelist.htm ...ask questions & have fun!
Black MX-5
Freshman Member
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My dad and I just bought a 75 MGB (first ones with the rubber bumpers...) It's green with tan, and is a renovation project. Here's the skinny:
The good:
$400 from an old couple who no longer had the desire to restore her.
Frame, trunk, floors, sills and battery panels are rust free
Mechanical records show car was in good running order at the end of 2002, drivetrain was fully functional.
interior is in decent condition, tops as well.
The bad:
front and rear fenders are rusty, hood and trunk are as well.
No pressure on the clutch pedal (hhmm....)
engine bay is covered in surface rust
exhaust is gone
So.. Thoughts? Anything I should be checking for? I think I covered all of my bases looking for the bad spots, and it didn't show any of em. The frame looks super solid, as do the sills, and it looks like it could be prime for a renovation and mild resto.
The plan is to have the car drivable by mid summer, and to just clean the car up so it's presentable, and have some fun with it. Replace the bad panels, clean up the interior, and throw a few performance parts into the engine.
Over the winter, we'll hit up the body work, have it painted, and by next spring, have a super cool 2nd roadster. (first is my 96 mazda mx-5)
I can't wait!
The good:
$400 from an old couple who no longer had the desire to restore her.
Frame, trunk, floors, sills and battery panels are rust free
Mechanical records show car was in good running order at the end of 2002, drivetrain was fully functional.
interior is in decent condition, tops as well.
The bad:
front and rear fenders are rusty, hood and trunk are as well.
No pressure on the clutch pedal (hhmm....)
engine bay is covered in surface rust
exhaust is gone
So.. Thoughts? Anything I should be checking for? I think I covered all of my bases looking for the bad spots, and it didn't show any of em. The frame looks super solid, as do the sills, and it looks like it could be prime for a renovation and mild resto.
The plan is to have the car drivable by mid summer, and to just clean the car up so it's presentable, and have some fun with it. Replace the bad panels, clean up the interior, and throw a few performance parts into the engine.
Over the winter, we'll hit up the body work, have it painted, and by next spring, have a super cool 2nd roadster. (first is my 96 mazda mx-5)
I can't wait!
Black MX-5
Freshman Member
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Thanks for the links guys!
That checklist is great! I've printed it out and am studying it now.
Where do you guys buy your replacement panels and such from? So far i've been looking at moss motors, as i've done good business with them in the past with my MX-5, and they seem like good folks.
It gets delivered on Sunday, so I'll have some pics for you guys after that!
Thanks again!
That checklist is great! I've printed it out and am studying it now.
Where do you guys buy your replacement panels and such from? So far i've been looking at moss motors, as i've done good business with them in the past with my MX-5, and they seem like good folks.
It gets delivered on Sunday, so I'll have some pics for you guys after that!
Thanks again!
OP
aerog
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Welcome to the forum - good luck with the project. There are a lot of "new" parts dealers around and folks like Tony that can get you set up with suitable parts when they're available. Moss as you know, the "Proper MG", Brit-Tek, and a few others (look around on the web for them) sell all kinds of parts. Apple Hydraulics in NY is often used for servicing of brake and clutch hydraulics, and the lever shocks.
The clutch problem could be nothing more than a bad clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder. If you decide to pull the engine for whatever reason (repaint, etc), you might look into either rebuilding the engine or replacing the bearings - and do the clutch at the same time while it's out.
You didn't mention if you had Overdrive or not -- if you do please know the negative comments you got on the Miata Forum about the OD were probably out of ignorance. The OD on the MGB 4-speed works very well and, in my opinion, is something well worth having for highway travel. In any event, it's worth your while to drain the transmission and top it off with good quality oil (20w50 engine oil, non-synthetic is normal in the MGB). If you do have OD you might order new filter screen/gaskets and o-rings for the valve assembly while you're working on it.
The clutch problem could be nothing more than a bad clutch master cylinder or slave cylinder. If you decide to pull the engine for whatever reason (repaint, etc), you might look into either rebuilding the engine or replacing the bearings - and do the clutch at the same time while it's out.
You didn't mention if you had Overdrive or not -- if you do please know the negative comments you got on the Miata Forum about the OD were probably out of ignorance. The OD on the MGB 4-speed works very well and, in my opinion, is something well worth having for highway travel. In any event, it's worth your while to drain the transmission and top it off with good quality oil (20w50 engine oil, non-synthetic is normal in the MGB). If you do have OD you might order new filter screen/gaskets and o-rings for the valve assembly while you're working on it.
Black MX-5
Freshman Member
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Hey, thanks for all the info!
I'm not sure about pulling the engine just yet. I wanna see what kind of shape it's in at the moment. But i'm sure there will definitly be some rebuilding in the near future, or perhaps buying a second engine to build in the garage while I drive around on what's in there at the moment. Although i'm sure if she needs a new clutch, I'll end up doing a small/quick rebuild while it's out.
To be honest, i'm not sure if it has OD yet. I'll check that out too. I figured that it would work just fine with the proper maintence, and I really don't take those miata guys to heart.. They can be a bit opinionated at times...
Well, thanks again for the help! She gets delivered on Monday, then it's time to start rolling!
I'm not sure about pulling the engine just yet. I wanna see what kind of shape it's in at the moment. But i'm sure there will definitly be some rebuilding in the near future, or perhaps buying a second engine to build in the garage while I drive around on what's in there at the moment. Although i'm sure if she needs a new clutch, I'll end up doing a small/quick rebuild while it's out.
To be honest, i'm not sure if it has OD yet. I'll check that out too. I figured that it would work just fine with the proper maintence, and I really don't take those miata guys to heart.. They can be a bit opinionated at times...
Well, thanks again for the help! She gets delivered on Monday, then it's time to start rolling!
Matthew E. Herd
Jedi Warrior
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On the subject of suppliers and panels, I discovered the following:
Near us (southeastern PA) there are two decent people to deal with. One is British Miles, north of Philly in Morristown? ... just search for it online. Run by a gentleman by the name of Tom, he's somewhat disorganized.
The other is British Racing Green in DE. The guy is a Moss distributor and very helpful. I suggest you look him up.
Also, I don't know how others feel about this, but fiberglass panels from various sources are actually half the price of "new" moss fenders. It's definitely something to consider. Lighter, cheaper, and possibly closer to you ... that one I don't know.
Near us (southeastern PA) there are two decent people to deal with. One is British Miles, north of Philly in Morristown? ... just search for it online. Run by a gentleman by the name of Tom, he's somewhat disorganized.
The other is British Racing Green in DE. The guy is a Moss distributor and very helpful. I suggest you look him up.
Also, I don't know how others feel about this, but fiberglass panels from various sources are actually half the price of "new" moss fenders. It's definitely something to consider. Lighter, cheaper, and possibly closer to you ... that one I don't know.
Black MX-5
Freshman Member
Offline
fiberglass? Where do I find them? It's definitly something i'd consider...